Demolition Worker Saved by Hard Hat in Aberdeen Accident

10th Frebruary 2014

Hard Hat saves demolition workers life 


Lawrie Demolition Ltd, a division of Scotland’s Leiths Group, faced Peterhead Sheriff Court recently, after an employee was seriously injured by falling guttering. It has been revealed that eh 61-year old demolition worker only escaped with his life because of the hard hat he was wearing.

Lawrie Demolition was fined £40,000 in a hearing that saw them plead guilty to the breach of Regulation 29 of the Construction Regulations 2007. The injured employee, named as Valentin Taljanov was working on the harbour site of the former Craig Group Buildings, where the demolition project of the offices and warehousing was taking place.

According to the HSE, who conducted an investigation following the incident, Lawrie Demolition Ltd failed to secure the site and had no hazard identification system in place for the ongoing work. The HSE said that the incident was ‘wholly preventable’ and urge construction companies to learn from the incident.

During the demolition process, a substantial length of cast-iron guttering was left unsupported at roof height. Whilst removing roofing materials from a platform near the ground, Mr Taljanov was hit by the falling guttering and sustained injuries including fractures to his arm, ribs and vertebra. He also received a cut to the head, but survived the incident largely due to the fact that he was wearing a regulatory hard hat.

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